Saint Matthew Orthodox Church, Columbia MD
35th Anniversary Celebration
November 12, 2023
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My beloved children in the Lord,
Picture if you will the scene: a man lying by the side of the road, beaten, robbed, stripped, suffering. Passing by on the other side, going out of their way to avoid this man in need, this man in pain, are first a priest and then a Levite.
It is easy to hear this Gospel and be horrified by the callous indifference of these clergy of Old Israel as they ignore the plight of their brother, whom we know to be the innocent victim of a terrible crime.
But imagine, if you will, the perspective that these characters might have had on the situation. Perhaps they had truly urgent business—or at least, that what’s they told themselves. Perhaps they assured themselves that someone with more time, more resources, more qualifications to help would come along soon. Perhaps they were afraid of the man—he’s all bloody and on the road in the middle of nowhere, he might be a shady character. Or they are afraid that thieves might still be nearby. They’d have liked to help, but they had a rational fear for their own safety.
In other words, we needn’t imagine that the priest and the Levite in this parable were actively cruel, a pair of Judean Ebenezer Scrooges eager to put the poor in prisons and workhouses and to decrease the surplus population through Social Darwinist policies. Not at all.
Rather, the priest and the Levite represent business as usual for the entire human race: they’d like to help, but they have their own affairs to attend to. Sure, they love their neighbor—when they have the time, the extra money, the right assurances.
The priest and Levite are not cruelly indifferent, just casually selfish, with sensible, socially-sanctioned priorities.
And how many of us are exactly the same as they?
Of course we all give to our neighbor—but do we give when it pinches our own resources? Of course we all want to help—but do we put ourselves at risk, at a disadvantage, even a little bit, for the sake of the other? Of course we all want to do the right thing—but do we really want to do the right thing, even when it comes at the expense of our comfort and sense of well-being?
In fact, with our hobbled virtue, little courage, habitual selfishness, and unreflexive hypocrisy, we might find that, when we think about it, we are just as helpless and wounded as that man by the side of the road. We claim to love God and love virtue, but we are far too weak, far too infirm, seriously to pursue these things.
But, thank God, the true Good Samaritan, Christ the Savior, has visited us in our weakness and woundedness, and he has anointed us with the oil of the Spirit. He has given us his Flesh as bread and his Blood as a drink more delightful than any wine on the face of the earth.
Powerless as we are to pursue virtue, to practice true generosity, to lead lives of real love, he has nevertheless loved us to excess, making up for all our shortcomings with the surpassing abundance of his mercy.
And now, henceforth, as the holy apostle John the Theologian says, “We love him because he first loved us.”
Knowing his superlative grace, his lavish forgiveness, his extravagant love, we are able to share that same grace, forgiveness, and love with our own neighbor.
Consider the holy hierarch John the Merciful, patriarch of Alexandria, whose memory we celebrate today. St. John was known for his great generosity, and we read the following story in his life:
One day, when the saint was visiting the sick, he met a beggar and commanded that he be given six silver coins. The beggar changed his clothes, ran on ahead of the patriarch, and again asked for alms. Saint John gave him six more silver coins. When, however, the beggar sought charity a third time, and the servants began to chase the fellow away, the patriarch ordered that he be given twelve pieces of silver, saying, “Perhaps he is Christ putting me to the test.”
Unreasonable, excessive, incautious: such was St. John’s love for his neighbor. His awareness of God’s love for the fallen human race was so intense that he never balked at the chance generously to share that love, to pass it on to his fellow men.
As Christ comes into our midst today, the Healer of souls and Physician of ailing hearts, to treat the wounds of our selfishness and laziness and excuse-making, his love and his example call us to a renewed generosity toward both God and neighbor.
Jesus Christ gave himself for us: love calls out to love, and we are called to love in return. No longer will we pass by the needs of the neighbor; no longer will we allow the selfish patterns of the world to be enough for us. From this day forward, we are called to be good Samaritans in the image of the Good Samaritan who visited us by the wayside of life and saved us despite our sins. As Jesus says at the end of today’s Gospel, “‘Go and do likewise,’ just as I have done for you. Show mercy as I have shown mercy. Be generous as I have been generous to you. Share my love; share my Gospel; share my forgiveness through my holy Church.”
In the many ways, today’s Gospel passage with its interpretation is the most fitting reading for us as we gather to celebrated the community of love that has existed here at Saint Matthew’s Orthodox Church for 35 years. What we see reflected in the many souls who have prayed, worshipped, and struggled here – both those who are gathered here today and those who have gone to their eternal rest – is the fruit of the common effort of all to build here a communion of sacrificial love and care for one’s neighbor. We give thanks to God for this great gift and entreat him to grant all of us to continue this sacred and apostolic work for many more years at Saint Matthew’s.
To him who calls us to follow his example of love, mercy, and generosity, the Benefactor of mankind and the Healer of our soul’s every wound, our true Lord and God and Savior, be all glory, honor, thanksgiving, and adoration, together with his heavenly Father and his all-holy, good, merciful, gracious, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ!